The present invention relates generally to improvements in air-supported shelters and more particularly to inflatable shelters which provide an enclosure for an area thus shielding it against elements and assuring comfort and pleasant environment.
Various types of air-supported shelters are presently known or have been described in patent literature. The closest prior art known to the applicant is that of the U.S. Pat. No. 3,159,165 which discloses an air-supported structure including a door for entering and leaving the enclosure and a blower mechanism, both of which are separate from the sheet of the enclosure. The base of the enclosure which extends along the ground over the blower outlet and over the door frame includes a sleeve with an elongated cable mounted within the passage thereof. The cable is fastened to the ground by hook fasteners which are screwed into fittings embedded in the apron. Another cable extending around the door frame and anchored to the ground is provided to insure that the door frame is held solidly in place. An air seal is provided along the base by a flap which rests on the ground or follows the contour of the door and other equipment placed under the sleeve. Such structure has a few drawbacks. For instance, a separate door has to be installed with special care to avoid air leakage and is difficult to disassemble. The hook fasteners are hazardous when left screwed into fittings embedded in the concrete base. If it is desired to remove them, such operation is tedious and time consuming. The flap must be specially designed to fit the outline of the door frame, of the blower outlet or the like equipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,353,309 describes an inflatable structure, the lower edge of which is formed of a tubular rim filled with water to provide a sealing contact with the deck. Several parallel strips extending across the ceiling portion of the enclosure are attached to the deck by pins embedded therein. Water-filled tubes have been found disadvantageous as they frequently develop leaks which necessitate repairs, are awkward and time-consuming to be emptied or refilled with water when assembling or disassembling the structure and are adversely affected by formation of algae or mildew.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,651,609 shows an air-inflated structure formed by a number of horizontally elongated panels joined together and a reinforcing cable system comprising parallel tensioning cables connected at their ends to ground anchors.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,728,831 discloses a similar air-inflated structure including parallel tension devices connected to tension transmitting cables running lengthwise of the central section of the structure. Such reinforcing cables are not only costly but, in addition, render the structure difficult to assemble and disassemble.
An inflatable shelter having a metallic track permanently secured to the decking for affixing the bottom edge of the shelter around a swimming pool is also known. A drawback of such an installation is that people walking or children playing on the deck may trip over the track and suffer an injury.
Rigid enclosures are likewise known for use in covering swimming pools. However, such enclosures are cumbersome in that not only they are difficult to be removed in hot weather when they are not needed, but they also require a large area for storage when not in use.
The various drawbacks and disadvantages of the prior art structures discussed hereinabove can be overcome by the provision of an improved air-supported shelter system described in detail hereinafter.